President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations following American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous use of force towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Strong Answer
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
